Choices
by jozivabellepattersonfan
Summary: Jo and Henry are married. A case drops in their laps that requires Jo to make some tough decisions. Fifteenth in the "Homeless" series.
1. Start the Week

I woke to the sun shining through the curtains. When I moved to get up, Henry tightened his hold on my waist. "Five more minutes, darling," he breathed.

"It's Monday, _mon amour_ ," I murmured. "Time to start the week."

"Not yet," he insisted. "We don't need to get up yet." He kissed the back of my neck, making me shiver.

"That's what you always say."

"And am I ever wrong?"

I rolled over in his embrace so I could smirk at him. "There was that one time..."

He silenced me with a kiss. "One time," he acknowledged. "But not today." He was leaning in for another kiss when my phone rang. I jumped, hitting his chin with my head.

"Spoken too soon," he said, reaching over to hand me the phone from the nightstand. I sat up and looked at the caller ID. Hanson, of course.

"Martinez."

"Hey, Jo. Sorry to wake you."

I grinned at Henry. "Don't worry, I was awake."

"We've got a homicide over on Wesley. I'll text you the address."

"Thanks, Mike." I hit "end call" and tossed the phone back on the nightstand. "Time to start the week, Henry," I told him, swinging my legs off the bed. Before I could stand, he grabbed my hand and placed a tender kiss on my wedding ring.

" _Now_ we can start the week," he informed me. "I'll make the coffee." Shaking my head fondly, I went to hop into the shower.

* * *

A short and sweet chapter to start us off! This story evolved a lot, but it always started with the same premise: Jo and Henry are married. How does this affect their work? I hope you enjoy. :) As always, please leave your thoughts in the reviews! I love constructive criticism that I can use to improve my writing!


	2. Not Sure

trigger warning - domestic abuse

* * *

Hanson hadn't sent the name of the building, just the address. When I pulled up to it, I made Henry check the address again. "This is it," he confirmed grimly.

"I wish it wasn't," I replied, staring at the sign for "Little Tykes Daycare and Preschool."

He put a hand on my arm. I tore my eyes away from the sign to look at him. "If the body was found this morning, then the murder happened over the weekend," he pointed out. "It is unlikely the victim is a child."

I took a deep breath. "I agree. Let's go."

Hanson met us at the tape line. "I'm not sure what to make of this," he told us, leading us down the center hallway of the school. Henry and I snapped on gloves as we walked. "Victim is Margaret Haines, twenty-seven."

"Teacher?" I asked.

"In the three-year-old room. That's where the secretary found her this morning." We stopped next to a door decorated with rainbows and unicorns. "According to the secretary, Miss Haines often got in early, but she was also the last one here on Friday, so it's possible she never left."

"What are you not sure about?" Henry inquired.

"What a teacher who plays with three-year-olds all day could have done to deserve this." Hanson pushed open the door.

Margaret Haines was sprawled facedown on the alphabet rug in the middle of the classroom. Blood was pooled around her head, obscuring the letter "S." Lucas, kneeling next to the body, turned her head slightly so we could see the wide slice across her neck. "Someone doesn't like 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,'" he commented drily.

Henry knelt on the other side of the body and examined Miss Haines' right arm. "Based on rigor, I would say Miss Haines perished at about three o'clock this morning."

"What was she doing here so early?" I wondered out loud. "Does the school have security cameras?"

"They did," Hanson said, making a face. "But someone – presumably our killer – ripped out the servers."

"Great." As Henry and Lucas discussed the victim's wound, I did a sweep of the room. Dr. Seuss books, wooden blocks, plastic plates and cups, a colorful xylophone... every childish object made me wince. The room was so innocent and carefree – except for the body on the floor.

Behind the teacher's desk, I found a blanket and pillow. They were laid out as though someone had been using the floor as a bed. "Hanson," I called.

He broke off his conversation with a CSU technician and came over. "Think she was sleeping here?"

"That would explain why she was here at three AM."

"Detectives?" We turned at the sound of Henry's voice. He held up a black scrunchie. "I noticed something in her left hand and pulled it out," he explained. "Given her pixie cut, I would guess that this belonged to her killer."

"There are a few strands stuck in it," Lucas added. "We should be able to pull DNA."

I gave Henry an evidence bag, and he dropped the scrunchie in. "Hopefully we'll get lucky and there'll be a match in the system," I said. "Did you find anything else interesting?"

"She put up a hell of a fight," Lucas informed us. "Defensive wounds on her forearms, bloody knuckles–"

"And I don't believe this was the first incident," Henry put in. "Even before getting her back to the lab, I can see old bruises on her arms, and her nose looks like it's been broken at least once."

I glanced at Hanson. "Boyfriend, you think?"

"Sounds like it."

"Let's go find him."

* * *

Quick update, I know - but I'm leaving town for over a week on Wednesday, so I want to get all of the chapters up before then. I don't like waiting, and I'm sure you don't either. :) Thanks for reading, everyone!

KenH - One of my favorite Henry flashbacks is he and Abigail in bed when Abe is a baby. She tries to get up when Abe starts crying, but he pulls her back. This is the Jo equivalent to that in my head! Superlc529 - Ah, but it's _not_ a one-shot, finally. Haha. Thanks though!


	3. Resolve

trigger warning - domestic abuse

* * *

"No, no. John would never do this." Miss Haines' roommate looked away as she said it, obviously lying through her teeth.

"Miss Pierce, please." I held out an array of photos – evidence from previous domestic abuse reports. "Look at these pictures. Your roommate was being abused, and there's no way you didn't know."

"If you're worried about your own safety, we can protect you," Hanson assured her. "We can put you in a safe house until Miss Haines' killer is caught."

Miss Pierce picked up the photos with shaking hands. The first one showed Margaret Haines with a black eye; the second, with a handspan of a bruise on her left arm; the third, with a broken and bloody nose. In each case, Miss Haines had come in to report the abuse, but dropped the charges a day later.

"John, he – he was rough," Miss Pierce admitted finally. "But he loved Margie. He would never kill her."

Hanson leaned forward. "Do you know where we can find John?"

When she hesitated, I reminded her, "We can protect you. And when we catch him, he'll be off the streets for good."

That seemed to strengthen her resolve. She put the photos down and sat up straight. "His apartment's in Brooklyn. I don't have the address, but it's close to that Italian place on Vine."

I put my hands over hers. "Thank you, Miss Pierce."

We arranged for Miss Pierce to be sent to a safe house, then looked up John Winchester. His license photo showed a tanned face with blue eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. "He's a real charmer," Hanson said, reading over my shoulder. "Seven counts of domestic abuse, one count of indecent exposure, three counts of sexual harassment–"

"And each time, the charges were dropped." I sighed. "Hopefully we'll be able to match the hair from the scrunchie to him."

Hanson squinted at the computer screen. "Looks like his last known address is the Brooklyn apartment Miss Pierce mentioned."

"And he has a job as a stocker at a grocery store. Which do you want – apartment or store?"

"I'll take a few uniforms and take the store." Hanson scribbled the address down on his notepad. "You can take some uniforms and that doctor of yours and take the apartment."

"All right. I'll give you a call when we've cleared the place." I grabbed my jacket and headed towards the elevator.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Hopefully I'm making this realistic. I haven't experienced this personally, but it seems like there would be a lot of fear involved.

KenH - so many questions! They'll be answered soon enough. ;) Superlc529 - glad I can surprise you! I'm glad you appreciated the juxtaposition there.


	4. Rabbit

Henry was stitching Miss Haines back up when I arrived in the morgue. "Good afternoon, Jo," he said without looking up. "How goes the investigation?"

"We've identified the boyfriend. Have you finished the autopsy?"

"Yes. It took awhile to document all of her injuries." He set the last stitch and handed his needle to Lucas. "This poor woman – she has been beaten thoroughly, and often."

"Old bruises on her arms, abdomen, neck, and face," Lucas called over from the sink, where he was washing utensils. "Old cuts on her arms and legs. Nose broken twice."

"And the new bruises match the old ones," Henry added, stripping off his gloves. "Are you off to find the boyfriend?"

I nodded. "You coming?"

"I'll get my coat." He hurried into his office. Lucas watched him go, shaking his head.

"He's like an excited puppy every time you say he can go," he commented. "It's cute, in a nauseating kind of way."

Before I could reply, Henry emerged from his office. "Shall we, Detective?" he asked, offering me his arm. I took it.

"Let's go, Dr. Morgan."

Lieutenant Reece got a warrant and gave us three extra uniforms to take with us. We parked a block from the apartment. "BJ and I will go in the front," I told the officers. "You two, stay by the back entrance. It's apartment number three, on the first floor. And Henry–"

"I will stay close to the car," he assured me.

I smiled at him, then continued, "Treat John Winchester as armed and dangerous. We know he has a knife; I wouldn't be surprised if he has other weapons in the apartment. Proceed carefully." They nodded, and I beckoned to Officer Johnson. "Let's go, BJ."

"We'll let you know when we're in position," Officer O'Reilly said. They left for the back entrance while BJ and I went in the front. We had just reached the door to apartment six when we heard their whisper over the coms: "Ready."

I knocked on the door. "John Winchester! NYPD, we have a warrant!"

BJ pressed his ear to the door. "I hear him," he confirmed. "Sounds like he's making a run for it."

"Coming your way!" I said over the coms. I jerked my head at the door; BJ kicked it in. "NYPD, freeze!" I yelled, holding my weapon up and ready. There was a creaking sound from a room down the hall. I sprinted towards the room, entering it just in time to see Winchester exiting through the window.

"We have a rabbit!" I said over the coms as I scrambled after him. "Through the east window!"

I heard "copy that" from the others over the coms. They would go around to flank him. BJ was too bulky to fit through the window; I heard the door slam as he went out the front entrance. Winchester ran through an alley and into the street. I cursed. Accidentally or on purpose, he was heading straight for our cruiser – and Henry.

* * *

Thanks for reading, everyone! KenH and Superlc529 - I'm glad that my despicable human being character is having the desired effect.


	5. Choose

I sped up, closing the distance between me and Winchester. As I turned the corner, I saw Henry jumping out of the car and running after Winchester. "Henry, stop!" I shouted. He ignored me.

Winchester glanced back, saw two of us chasing him, and ducked into another alley. This one led to an upscale neighborhood. I dashed across a manicured lawn, trying to catch up to Henry. I wasn't surprised that he was in pursuit with me; I was just annoyed.

"NYPD! Freeze, Winchester!" He stopped and turned, but he wasn't surrendering. Instead, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at Henry, who skidded to a halt.

"Let me go, or I'll shoot him," Winchester told me calmly.

I leveled my weapon at him. "You'll be surrounded in a minute, Winchester, and then it'll be all over. Do you want to add a second murder to your rap sheet?"

"'In a minute'?" Winchester repeated. "So I'm not surrounded now." I realized my mistake too late. Winchester fired at Henry. I shot at Winchester a second afterwards, but he was already dodging. I started to pursue, then looked at Henry.

He was on the ground, blood gushing from a wound in his chest, close to his heart. I hesitated. Henry was going to die; I knew enough about gunshot wounds to be able to tell. I also knew enough about my immortal husband to guess that he would disappear in about a minute. I had to get him out of sight before that happened...

But Winchester would get away, and he would find another young woman to abuse, and we might never get a chance to catch him again. This was New York City. He could disappear in a heartbeat.

If I hesitated any longer, Henry's secret would get out, _and_ Winchester would escape.

I had to choose.

* * *

Oh boy.

Thanks for everyone for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing! KenH - what was that about a huge problem? :P Superlc529 - yes, Castle was definitely part of the inspiration for this huge problem.


	6. Impossible

I knew what Henry would want me to do. With one last fearful glance at him, I ran after Winchester.

My fury lent me speed. He barely made it two more blocks before I tackled him. I heard footsteps and looked up to see BJ approaching, gun at the ready. "Cuff him," I ordered, digging my knee into Winchester's back.

When our suspect was secured, and the two other officers had arrived to help BJ, I said, "Take him to the precinct. I'll meet you there." Without waiting for a reply, I turned and ran back the way I'd come.

Henry was gone, of course, with only his pocket watch to indicate that he had ever been there. I picked it up with trembling fingers. Had anyone seen? Did anyone know?

I wasn't far from the river, and I had a duffel bag in my cruiser for just such an occasion. I sprinted back to the car, popped the trunk, grabbed the duffel bag, and made my way towards the river.

He was there, waiting in the water. I opened the bag and tossed him a towel so he could get out. "Thank you, Jo," he called, wrapping himself in the towel and stepping onto land.

"Don't thank me," I told him as we walked back to my car. "I got you shot."

He put an arm around my shoulders. "Did you get him?" I nodded. "Then it was worth it."

"Did anyone see you?" I asked, my voice shaking. What if I'd let his secret get out and he – and _we –_ had to leave?

He shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said, trying to keep his voice light. "I didn't see anyone when we turned onto the street, but it's possible someone was watching from their window. There might also be security cameras." He squeezed my shoulders. "Even if they did, it was worth it to catch Winchester, darling. He needed to be caught, and we might not have gotten another chance."

"You're not upset with me for leaving you?"

"Not in the slightest." We reached the car. Even in his towel-clad state, he insisted on opening the door for me. When he got in the passenger side, he took my hands and kissed them. "Many years ago, I was faced with the same situation," he informed me quietly. "I chose to protect my secret instead of saving a man's life, and I have hated myself for it ever since. I made the wrong choice, and you made the right one, Jo."

"That's an impossible choice for you, Henry," I replied, running my fingers through his damp hair. "I don't blame you for it."

"And neither do I blame you for yours." He leaned in and kissed me gently. "I love you, darling."

"And I love you."

* * *

He's at least safe for the moment! Thanks for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing. Two chapters left!

Superlc529 - Yes, no immediate danger, but there's the big "what if?" now. KenH - You were correct! Henry was more than fine with her decision, he was proud.


	7. Run

Winchester was surprised, to say the least, when Henry walked into the interrogation room unscathed. "I shot you!" he exclaimed, pointing to him. "How in the hell–"

"You missed," Henry explained coolly as we sat down.

I held up the scrunchie in its evidence bag. "The hairs on this match yours. We found it in your dead girlfriend's hand. Want to tell us about that?"

"I gave it to her, to remember me by," he spat.

"Right." I got up and knocked on the interrogation room door. Hanson opened it and handed me a large knife in its evidence bag. "And I suppose it's just a coincidence that the knife you had on you matches the wound on your girlfriend's neck."

"Lots of people have that knife," he growled, but I could see sweat starting to form on his forehead.

"Lots of people don't have traces of your girlfriend's blood on this knife," Henry replied. "You being in here is just a formality, really. We know you killed Margaret Haines. We're just curious as to the why."

"I didn't kill her." He sat back and looked at the ceiling. "I want my lawyer."

"Fine. We'll call him." Henry and I got up to leave as I added, "But he's not going to do you any good."

Given that we caught John Winchester within a day, I didn't have much paperwork to complete. I finished it in an hour and told Hanson I would see him in the morning.

I found my husband in his office, staring into the air. I went around to the back of his desk and put my arms around his neck. "Hey, handsome."

He came out of his reverie and kissed my cheek. "Hello, beautiful."

"I'll keep an eye on the reports for the next few days," I told him softly. "If anything pops up relating to your death, I'll bury it, if I can."

"Thank you, darling."

I moved so I could see his face. "And Henry? If you have to run, don't you _dare_ run without me."

His eyes widened. "Are you sure, Jo?"

"I'm your wife, _mon amour._ Of course I'm sure. I knew the risks when I married–"

Henry picked me up at the waist, set me on his desk, and kissed me thoroughly. "I love you, I love you, I love you," he whispered when he finally released my lips. "I can never say it enough, my dear, strong Jo."

I didn't have to think of a suitable reply, because Lucas poked his head in the door. "Uh, um, I just wanted to say that someone from the funeral home is here to pick up Miss Haines' body. I'll process them out. You guys look busy." He shut the door quickly.

I grinned up at Henry and raised my eyebrows. "Want to go home?"

"You have no idea."

* * *

Because my last story didn't have enough awkward Lucas. :p Thanks to everyone for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing!

KenH - I don't know, do I mean that? :p Superlc529 - This story started out as a ten thousand word plus story. I liked it - it had a lot of good scenes that I'll probably use in other stories - but it had no meaning for Henry and Jo. This story is shorter, but more meaningful.


	8. Forever

Several hours later, wrapped up in Henry's arms in bed, I thought about my choices.

Did I really have to leave him lying there? Would I have caught Winchester another day? It was impossible to know.

And if Henry had been seen, if he had had to run... would I really have run with him?

That one, I didn't even have to think about. I knew that I would follow Henry to the ends of the earth, if need be. When I lost Sean, I had also lost myself. Henry called me the strong one in our marriage, but I knew that if he left, I would break again.

But it was more than that. I wouldn't go with him just to stay sane. Henry was kind, passionate, dedicated – a good man. He made me feel special. When I was with him, it was as though there were no other women in the world. I wanted to be with him forever. I wanted to have children with him and grow old beside him. All of the stereotypical marriage things – I wanted them, with Henry.

I felt him stir. "Darling? Are you awake?" he murmured.

"Just thinking," I replied. "Go back to sleep, _mon amour._ "

He caressed my cheek. "What are you thinking about?"

"How much I love you."

I smiled as I felt him press a kiss to my hair. "I love you too. Did I mention that earlier?"

"A few times, I think."

"You think? But you're not sure?"

"I could use another reminder."

He was only too willing.

* * *

And there we have it. A shorter and somewhat different style of story than my last couple.

Thanks to everyone for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing! I hope you had fun with this one. I'll be on three back-to-back trips starting tomorrow, so don't expect anything else from me until August. I promise I'll be back. :)

KenH - I'm glad you approved of Lucas popping in. Superlc529 - One of my favorite lines. I can imagine it too!


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